1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for determining the stock of notes of value in a device for receiving notes of value, in which the orientation of a note of value is determined before feeding the note of value to the device and in which the order in which the notes of value are received in the device is stored.
2. Related Art
The method is in particular used for determining the stock of notes of value in a cash box. In cash boxes, the notes of value are received in the form of a value note stack such that they are standing on their edges in a receiving area of the cash box. When the cash box is received in an automated teller machine, an automatic cash register system and/or an automatic cash safe, notes of value can be fed and removed automatically to the cash box via an opening in the housing. In doing so, so-called multiple pull-offs may occur, i.e. two or more notes of value are pulled off inadvertently at the same time. As a result, among others the problem arises that it is no longer known how many notes of value are still received in the cash box. In the case of a mixed storage, it is then also no longer known which note of value is available next in the output order for removal. Thus, a reliable stock management which is in particular required for a closed cash cycle management is not possible.
After the occurrence of a multiple pull-off, it is common practice in the prior art to remove the cash box from the device in which it had been received and to remove all notes of value received in the cash box from the cash box and to count them so that a confirmed stock of the cash box is determined. This method has the disadvantage that it is very elaborate and time-consuming.
DE 10 2009 035 028 A1 discloses a method for determining the stock of the cash box after the occurrence of a multiple pull-off. In accordance with DE 10 2009 035 028 A1, the order of the individual banknotes and their serial number, each time unambiguously assigned to the individual banknotes, are stored in a memory element of the cash box. After the occurrence of a multiple pull-off a note of value is removed from the cash box and its serial number is determined. In this way, it can be determined how many notes of value were comprised by the multiple pull-off so that the stock of notes of value in the cash box is confirmed once again. What is problematic with this method is that, on the one hand, the detection of the serial number, in particular in the case of old, worn-out notes of value is only possible with difficulties due to contaminations and the like and, on the other hand, the long serial numbers require much memory space which is only available very limited in the memories of the cash box.
DE 10 2010 004 580 A1 discloses a further method for determining the stock of notes of value in a cash box after the occurrence of a multiple pull-off. Here, an extra sensor unit is provided by means of which the number of the banknotes of the multiple pull-off can be determined. Thus, also the number of the notes of value still received in the cash box can easily be calculated. This method has the disadvantage that for this purpose a separate sensor unit has to be provided, which involves additional costs and scarce space is taken up.
It is the object of the invention to specify a method for determining the stock of notes of value in a device for receiving notes of value, by means of which the stock of the device can be determined easily and reliably at any time.